IHDP and Research Data Scotland partner to unlock the power of health data

Located within the Usher Institute at The University of Edinburgh, the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme (IHDP) aims to harness the value of healthcare data and digital health innovation to benefit patients, health care professionals and the NHS through collaboration with academia, industry and the third sector. Through a new partnership, Research Data Scotland (RDS) and IHDP are collaborating towards a shared mission to improve access to data for research, to accelerate healthcare innovation and deliver better outcomes for people across Scotland.

The partnership formalises the organisations’ existing collaborative relationship, which was established over two years ago when IHDP hosted workshops with private sector and digital innovation organisations as part of an RDS review of access to data for digital health innovation. Working collaboratively, RDS and IHDP have gained crucial perspectives from the innovation community to understand the challenges and opportunities faced in digital and data innovation.

Through the formalised partnership, RDS and IHDP will further develop their work towards a shared goal of advancing ethical, accessible, and innovative use of health data across Scotland, building on established work to ‘unlock the value of data’ and ensuring that improved access enables responsible innovation and in a way that aligns with public values. The organisations aim to enhance communication and information sharing both internally and with external partners, supporting coordinated engagement across a broad stakeholder base, with plans to develop joint projects to improve data research in Scotland.

Roger Halliday, CEO of RDS, said: “Many people expect their data to be used to improve services, but there is caution when there is talk of sharing data with the private sector. The expertise in engagement IHDP bring will help get the right balance between views of the public, NHS data owners and industry that should give the social licence to enable data-driven innovations that improve lives.”

Fi Strachan, Programme Lead at IHDP, said: “Formalising our partnership with RDS highlights the value of connecting partners across the digital health and data world and making best use of our combined resources to make a difference in how we use data to improve health and care outcomes in Scotland. It’s an important step for IHDP and recognises the strength of our collective impact approach to ensure that new approaches include a broad range of perspectives.”

Planned activities

To deliver on these objectives, RDS and IHDP will maintain ongoing intelligence sharing to identify collaboration opportunities. IHDP will support RDS’s private sector engagement through workshops, communications, operational frameworks, and the Scottish Medical Imaging (SMI) showcase. In addition, both organisations will jointly participate in research and innovation projects where relevant, share knowledge and best practices, and collaborate on events, stakeholder engagement, and other activities.

Why this partnership matters for Scotland

The partnership represents a vital step towards unlocking the full potential of Scotland’s health data to drive innovation that benefits people living in Scotland. By improving data access through ethical, transparent, and inclusive approaches, RDS and IHDP will ensure research and commercial developments align with public values and deliver tangible health improvements.

The partnership is key to supporting Scotland’s wider ambition to build a dynamic, data-driven economy, fostering an environment where innovators, clinicians, patients and policymakers can work together effectively - attracting responsible investment and ensuring the benefits of data use flow back into Scotland’s communities and services.